When the Golden Leaf Falls
by EvanescentBeauty
Summary: This story follows the life of Featherpelt, a RiverClan warrior. With a mysterious prophecy understood and a forbidden romance sparked with Poisontooth, a NightClan warrior, how can the young warrior accept that her destiny doesn't lie with her birth Clan
1. READ THIS FIRST!

For Warrior fans, you might want to read this first, or else you will be VERY confused.

Well, this is many years after the time of the Warrior books. (I started this before the cats moved to their new home, so it takes place in the same old place.) The story is that RiverClan became absolutely ENORMOUS. And I mean, HUGE. So big, in fact, that the leader of RiverClan could not control her Clan anymore, so RiverClan split into two separate Clans. One half stayed RiverClan, and the other half took the name NightClan…

There's the story….

Please enjoy my story, I worked very hard on it…

ENJOY!


	2. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

A chilly breeze blew over the wispy moors of WindClan territory. A young she-cat crept through the tall wheat stalks, as the last crimson lights of sunset melted under the horizon. Her silver fur glimmered in the soft light. A second cat bounded up behind her. It was her sister, who was smaller than the queen, but just as beautiful. She had dark gray fur, and sparkling blue eyes. Her whiskers were milky white, and the tip of her tail was speckled with cream-colored spots. Three kits padded on in front of her, and she nudged them forward.

"Quickly," she whispered. "We don't have much time."

The queen strained her eyes to gaze over the wheat and saw her destination. A giant gray rock protruded from the grass.

As she reached it, she saw a tom standing there. The muscular tom carried golden fur with brown spots. The golden-furred, WindClan tom was the RiverClan queen's mate, and the father of her kits.

"It's been a while, Bluestream," mewed the tom quietly, as Bluestream entered the small clearing. "What took you?" Bluestream pressed her nose into his flank, but didn't answer. Her mate looked at Bluestream's sister.

"Dawnpelt," the tom whispered. "It's good to finally meet you. Bluestream has told me so much about you." Dawnpelt gave him a brisk nod. She didn't entirely trust him, and she wasn't about to hide it. She looked at her sister's kits and nudged one of the kits softly.

"I can see this one takes after her father." And so she did. The small kit and her father carried the same golden fur and dark brown spots, but instead the little kit carried her mother's green eyes.

"Featherkit," whispered Bluestream. Another of the kits, a small she-kit, carried brilliant silver fur and blue eyes as her mother, but had one dark gray paw and a white chest. As Bluestream nudged the kit she whispered, "Mistkit." The last kit, another she-kit, had golden-yellowish fur and sea green eyes. "That one is Lightkit," added Bluestream. They watched as Mistkit, who had been the mischievous one from the beginning, bowled Featherkit over and began a play-fight. Lightkit flinched away, and hid in the comforting warmth and shadow of her mother's leg. Bluestream sighed, looking up at her mate.

"Leopardpelt," she whispered. "I prayed to StarClan for nights this would go well, but we must go back. Their mews would carry for miles if they started to get hungry," she added, gesturing to her children. "and I can't stay here for a whole feeding." Leopardpelt nodded.

"Of course," he murmured. "Stay safe," he whispered, pressing his nose into Bluestream's fur. He gazed longingly at his kits. He couldn't bear to see them any longer. The pain was too great. He clamped his eyes shut, and pulled away.

"Take them," he whispered. Bluestream turned her head to him.

"Leopardpelt," she whispered. "I told you it would be hard. We discussed this—"

"At the last Gathering, I know!" he spat. "I just never imagined it would be this hard to say good-bye." He looked at his kits.

"Don't you forget me!" he whispered.

"I won't forget you," mewed Featherkit. Her voice was tiny, and squeaky, but her voice rang in her father's ears. He smiled.

"I won't forget you either," mewed Mistkit, whose voice was just as tiny, but firmer.

"Me neither," mewed Lightkit. Her voice was barely audible. Bluestream's throat swelled to twice it's normal size, as she saw her kits press up against their father. She would never forget the scene. Grief clawed at her belly. It was her fault that these kits couldn't see their father every day of their lives. She pushed her nose into her mate's golden fur.

"I love you," she whispered. "Just think! Someday your kits will be warriors, and will be able to come to the Gatherings! You can see them all the time!" Leopardpelt opened his mouth to reply, when a fourth cat came into the scene. He was enormous, and stocky, with pale yellow fur and dark eyes. As the warrior realized what was there, he stopped short. His eyes widened, and unsheathed claws that were extremely large and sharp as blackthorns.

"Shadowfang, listen!" mewed Leopardpelt, stepping forward. "Just listen to me—"

"An enemy!" Shadowfang spat. He dug his claws into the ground. "Get out of the way, Leopardpelt," he growled. "This one's mine!" The cat sprang at Bluestream. Her kits scattered, and she tried to flee, but Shadowfang pinned her and started to batter her belly with whirring claws, before Leopardpelt could stop him.

"No!" screamed Leopardpelt. He sprang at the warrior, and flung him away. Bluestream's eyes rolled, and closed.

"Bluestream," he whispered. Dawnpelt hurried the kits away. The tom whipped around and hissed at Leopardpelt, blood dripping from his jaws.

"How dare you!" he spat. "How dare you protect them!" He looked down at his paws, thinking out loud. "Then my suspicions were correct! You've mated with the silver one haven't you? Haven't you! Well the jig is up, Leopardpelt. I know now! And soon the whole Clan will know!"

Leopardpelt leapt onto Shadowfang and clawed at him until the blows Shadowfang was flinging at him grew slower and fainter.

"Leopardpelt!" screeched Dawnpelt. "Stop it! STOP IT!" She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and dragged him off of Shadowfang. Leopardpelt flung Dawnpelt off. Her frail body rolled away. She jumped to her paws, claws unsheathed. Leopardpelt was crouching over the body of Shadowfang.

"N-no!" screeched Leopardpelt. Leopardpelt stumbled back. "Shadowfang!" he cried. With a final shudder, Shadowfang died. Leopardpelt couldn't believe it. He hadn't meant to kill him.

"Leopardpelt!" came a cry. He turned around to see Dawnpelt shivering over the body of Bluestream, who was convulsing with shudders. He ran to her side, his stomach lurching. He lowered his head over hers, and pushed his nose into her blue-gray fur. Bluestream's eyes flickered open.

"Leopardpelt?" she whispered. Leopardpelt sighed with relief.

"Bluestream!" he breathed. "It's going…," he looked back at Shadowfang, gulped and then turned back. "It's going to be all right."

"No," she whispered. He knew she was wasting the last of her strength to speak with him, and he felt so ashamed of himself. Of letting her die, and of letting everything collapse in paws, and to have let his one true love die in this awful way, suffering to the death.

"Take the kits home. Make sure they are safe. They need the protection of RiverClan."

"But, WindClan can take care of them!" meowed Leopardpelt. She didn't answer. He knew it was pointless to argue now. The kits belonged with the Clan of their mother. "Fine," he whispered. "But I can't let you die like this. I won't!" Bluestream looked up at him, smiling.

"I was weak cat," she whispered. "I wouldn't have survived long anyhow. It's not your fault."

"Bluestream," yowled Leopardpelt. "Don't talk like that! You're the bravest cat I know!" Bluestream closed her eyes.

"Bluestream, I can't live without you!" he yowled. Her eyes flickered again. Her eyes were no longer filled with weak amusement, but seriousness, as if she had no hope.

"Then we are both weak," she replied solemnly. Horrified, Leopardpelt watched as his mate slipped slowly into death, never to speak again. She gave one last whispery sigh and stopped breathing.

Shame, humiliation and grief clouded Leopardpelt's senses.

"Dawnpelt," he croaked. "Take the kits home." He made for the woods, but Dawnpelt stepped in front of him, angry.

"You can't just leave like this!" she cried. "You have to help the kits get home!" Leopardpelt's eyes were filled with hopelessness.

"You don't understand, do you?" he whispered. There was no anger or frustration in his voice, but he spoke softly, with a strange tinge of pity. Dawnpelt also noticed this.

"Don't patronize me like I'm a kit! The most important cat in the world to me has just died, and-"

"Don't you understand? I have no more future. My mate, my one true love, my beloved Bluestream is dead. I have nothing more to live for."

"What about your kits? Your Clan!"

"My Clan? My Clan would banish me anyway. I have committed a murder against one of my own. And I mated with a cat of another Clan. Do you think they would accept me now, or ever? Of course not."

"You piece of fox dung! Don't _you _understand? You're just being selfish! Your kits _need _you, you fool!"

"I _have _to go, Dawnpelt," he whispered. "You may not understand why just now, but in time—"

"_Excuse_ me?" she spat. "I've been a warrior for just as long as Bluestream, and—"

"You've never been in love!" he spat.

"How do you know?" she screeched, positively livid. Leopardpelt just blinked.

"Well, it's not my place to know, is it?" He headed towards the forest.

"You're a coward if you leave!" spat Dawnpelt, so furious she felt like clawing his eyes out.

Leopardpelt froze. He turned around, his eyes blazing with such fury, that Dawnpelt almost took a step back, but she held her ground, and glared at her sister's mate. How could her sister be so stupid as to fall in love with this coward? Such an arrogant, self-centered fool belonged with another fool, not with the kind, gentle, intelligent cat that had used to be her beloved sister.

"Listen, you!" he spat. "You have no business telling me what I should do. Yes, I'm selfish, I'm a piece of fox dung, but NO ONE calls me coward. If those kits are so important to you, why don't YOU take care of them?!"

Dawnpelt had never felt so enraged. _Is this what you have given me to deal with?_ Dawnpelt inquired to StarClan quietly. _Is this the reward you give Bluestream for the kindness and respect she has given every cat she has ever known? Is this how you wished it would all end? Falling apart in my paws, in front of my sister's children?_

"It's YOUR responsibility as a father!"

"I don't want those kits!"

Featherkit gave a squeal.

"What?" she squeaked. "I thought you said—"

"Silence!" yowled her father. She shrunk back. Dawnpelt was shocked to speechlessness. Leopardpelt had lost all sense. As a father, it was nature's instinct for him to want to protect his kits at all costs…but Bluestream's death had pushed him to insanity. He _was _a weak cat. And so he turned to leave and kept going.

"You _are _a coward!" yowled Dawnpelt. He didn't stop.

"_COWARD!!!" _

He didn't stop.

He was never seen again.

Dawnpelt, cold, alone, and horrified at what had just happened, turned to the kits, who were so mortified that they were barely clinging to consciousness.

"Come, little ones. We must get back to camp." She hung her head, and began to walk away. Featherkit jumped up defensively.

"But, w-wait a minute! Come back!" Dawnpelt kept going.

"Stop!" yowled Miskit, who had jumped up next to her sister. Dawnpelt stopped and slowly turned around.

"What _happened?"_ cried Miskit.

"I—" Dawnpelt couldn't explain. "When you're older," she finally replied simply.

And with that, she began to walk away. Featherkit and Mistkit helped Lightkit stumble towards Dawnpelt's direction, who was frozen stiff with shock. Dawnpelt's words rang in Featherkit's mind.

_When you're older…_


	3. Chapter 1

Featherpaw's eyes flickered open, as a cool wind blew in from the den opening. Her golden fur billowed out and then laid still. She decided to get up, because she could hear the activity bustling outside her den, and no other apprentices were still asleep. Not even her sister, Mistpaw, who usually slept as long as she did, was curled into a tight ball of fur. She got up, stretched and gave her shoulder a quick lick before running out onto the clearing. Gray clouds smothered the sky, but left her home with cool winds and no boiling sun that usually plastered her home with stifling heat. The familiar din of other cats heading out on patrols of her territory was peaceful and soothing. She was comforted by the gentle, quiet din of her fellow Clan mates working about the clearing. She saw the pile of fresh kill, and her heart almost burst with pride as she saw how big it was. Sparrow feathers were strewn around the pile, filled and made of fish, birds and squirrels. Spotting a plump fish, she realized how hungry she was and headed towards the pile. She had taken no more than two paw steps when she realized that she needed to feed the Clan before herself, but it was too late. Guilt and horror clawed at her belly as she heard an achingly familiar yowl sound across the clearing.

"Featherpaw!"

She gasped. _Oh no!_ she thought. _She's not mad at me because I went for food! I completely forgot about the dawn patrol! _But it was too late to turn and run now, and her mentor, Dawnpelt, was too close for Featherpaw to act like she had not heard. She turned slowly around to see a silver-gray pelt streaking across the clearing, sending up puffs of dirt in her wake.

"Where were you?" she spat, skidding to a halt in front of her spotted apprentice. Featherpaw opened her mouth to speak, but Dawnpelt cut her off.

"I know what you were doing!" she cried. "Sleeping!" Featherpaw couldn't help flinching under her mentor's furious blue gaze. "My own apprentice!" she yowled. "Sleeping through the dawn patrol!"

"I-I'm sorry, Dawnpelt," she croaked out. She cleared her throat. "I didn't mean to!"

Dawnpelt sighed and touched noses with her apprentice gently.

"I know you didn't," she whispered. "But you must understand that the Clan's needs must, _must_ come first!"

"I know that, Dawnpelt, and I am so, so sorry!" Featherpaw implored, trying to sound as desperate, and yet as sorry and convincing as she could. Dawnpelt's serious eyes were thoughtful.

"I believe you," she meowed finally. "Now go join the hunting patrol. As punishment, you will have no food until after your patrol. The Clan must be fed first, you know that."

Featherpaw's belly growled with hunger. Dawnpelt's blue eyes glittered with amusement and sympathy.

"I heard that, and I'm sorry."

"No need," Featherpaw replied quickly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I'll go." She began to trot over to the hunting patrol, who was about to leave.

"Hey guys, wait up!" she called. Mistpaw, Silvertail, and Sandpelt were part of the patrol.

"I heard you missed the dawn patrol," meowed Mistpaw, with a sympathetic glance. "Too bad."

"You need to learn that your rest comes after the patrols," added Silvertail. Her name fit her perfectly; she bore a beautiful speckled gray coat and a long, gleaming silver tail.

"Don't be too hard on her, Silvertail," mewed Sandpelt. "I saw Dawnpelt yelling at her earlier."

"I think the whole Clan saw Dawnpelt yelling at her!" snapped Silvertail, who was Sandpelt's sister.

"Or heard her," Mistpaw added, her eyes filled with laughter.

"Oh, go swallow a badger!" snapped Featherpaw, bowling her sister over.

"Guys! Come on!" cried Sandpelt, who dragged a flailing Mistpaw off her sister.

"I would have had her!" she cried, only half-joking.

"Not if I had anything to say about it," purred Sandpelt.

"Can we get _on_, for the love of StarClan?" snapped Silvertail. "I'm going to go catch a few fish, but you guys can stay here, if you want—,"

"Puh-_leez!" _scoffed Sandpelt. "That's never going to work on ME!"

Featherpaw, Mistpaw, Sandpelt, and Silvertail headed for the border, where the river was.

"Can I catch a fish? Can I, can I, can I?!" begged Mistpaw. Featherpaw smiled. Her sister, Mistpaw, was definitely the hyper one of the three siblings. She was friendly and sometimes clumsy, and seemed to find mischief wherever she went. Featherpaw's happy thoughts faded, as her mind drifted over her other sister, Lightpaw. Lightpaw was definitely the quiet one. She was devastated that she was the only one out of her sisters that couldn't remember her mother or father, and usually cried herself to sleep every night. Even though Featherpelt and Mistpaw remembered their mother and father, they couldn't remember names or clear images, really, and sometimes, felt just as sad. Featherpaw shook the depressing thoughts from her head as she saw her sister, and the two warriors sit down patiently by the edge of the water. A warm, surprisingly early Greenleaf had summoned hundreds of fish swimming upstream every day. The true fishing season was upon the cats of RiverClan, and now it was time for some fun.

Featherpaw settled down next to her sister, who was quivering with excitement. Little pink fish flitted by in the cool, clear water. Mistpaw whipped out a paw and let out a yowl of triumph as a particularly big fish leapt out of the water. Mistpaw reached out for it, but missed, and tumbled into the stream. The fish scattered. Mistpaw emerged, dripping wet, anger dripping with each cold drop. She glared at Sandpelt, who was rolling around on the grassy ground, shaking so hard with laughter, that no sound came out.

"Shut up," mumbled Mistpaw, as she shook the water from her gray fur, and wobbled onto the shore.

"Honestly," muttered Silvertail. "Can't you _try _to have a little more coordination? You're a RiverClan cat_!"_

"Cool it, sis," muttered Sandpelt, shaking the grass from her pelt, as she finished her giggling fit. "No one's impressed with your authoritative figure."

Featherpaw turned back to the water. The tentative fish were beginning to return. Featherpaw whipped out her paw, and a fish was flung out of the water. Featherpaw hooked it with a single claw and flapped it onto the ground. The fish flopped un-gracefully towards the water again. Featherpaw pressed her claw into the fish, and it's flailing stopped almost immediately.

"Good catch!" Featherpaw was surprised to see that the welcome praise had come from Silvertail. Her green eyes were sparkling. Mistpaw glared at her sister, humiliation glowing in her eyes, and then turned away and began cleaning her tail.

"Don't feel too bad, sis," meowed Featherpaw, dropping the fish at her feet. "Your fish was enormous!" Mistpaw looked furious. Featherpaw felt guilt claw at her stomach as she realized that she had caught the very fish that Mistpaw hadn't managed to catch.

"Share it?" asked Featherpaw. Mistpaw's eyes brightened.

"Sure!" she cried. She opened her mouth and bent down to take a bite, when a large yellow paw reached out and pawed the fish away.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Sandpelt mewed. "We're on _hunting _patrol, remember?"

"Aww, just a little nibble?" moaned Mistpaw.

"Yeah!" mewed Featherpaw indignantly. "Neither of us have had any breakfast!"

"Well, you'll just have to wait a little longer, won't you?" snapped Sandpelt playfully. "This fish is for Purpleflower. You know how she has a big appetite." Featherpaw snorted. She bent down and whispered in Mistpaw's ear, "She _says _it's because she given birth to four litters of kits, but I think it's just cause she's a—!"

"_Like _we can't hear you!" snapped Silvertail loudly, drowning out Featherpaw's last words. "Speak kindly of your Clan, young apprentices."

"Purpleflower is such a grump, though!" spat Mistpaw. "She's so mean! None of the other elders are as mean as her. The others tell us stories, and—" She stopped at the glare on Sandpelt's face.


End file.
